Patio grouting/pointing/jointing. it drives me crazy!
Discussion
So this is our patio....
Note the lack of grout, it was originally built with easy joint but they did a rubbish job of putting it in. So last year I spent ages pulling it out and putting new easy joint in. The joints are pretty narrow which makes it tough but I spent ages washing it in as per instructions and wherever I was still low I manually added more grout to jammed it in until it was full.
A year later it's mostly gone!
Is that a better solution out there. I would love some sort of solution you could pipe in like silicone, it would make install so much easier.
But Google as I might I can't find anything. A cement mix is an option but always seems to leave a lot of staining so I'm avoiding it.
Does anyone have any good solutions?
Note the lack of grout, it was originally built with easy joint but they did a rubbish job of putting it in. So last year I spent ages pulling it out and putting new easy joint in. The joints are pretty narrow which makes it tough but I spent ages washing it in as per instructions and wherever I was still low I manually added more grout to jammed it in until it was full.
A year later it's mostly gone!
Is that a better solution out there. I would love some sort of solution you could pipe in like silicone, it would make install so much easier.
But Google as I might I can't find anything. A cement mix is an option but always seems to leave a lot of staining so I'm avoiding it.
Does anyone have any good solutions?
Definitely laid full bed, I think that's actually part of the reason easy joint doesn't work well as it relies on water being sucked into the joint taking the material with it. As it's full bed there is nowhere for water to flow to so it tends to fill up with water and not go anywhere so the material just sits on the top and the joints don't fill up....
I find Easy joint reasonably good on my flagging, It's certainly Easy to use. Mines been in for 3 years and now needs redoing but mainly because of green moss . Are you sure you are not washing it out ? How are you cleaning your patio flags ?
I've got natural stone I laid on wet mortar mix and no voids underneath.
I've got natural stone I laid on wet mortar mix and no voids underneath.
Edited by glow worm on Thursday 31st August 08:45
oyster said:
I have a surplus of play sand. Can this be used to mix for pointing?
oyster said:
I have a surplus of play sand. Can this be used to mix for pointing?
oyster said:
I have a surplus of play sand. Can this be used to mix for pointing?
Blimey ! How much play sand have you got ?GasEngineer said:
oyster said:
I have a surplus of play sand. Can this be used to mix for pointing?
oyster said:
I have a surplus of play sand. Can this be used to mix for pointing?
oyster said:
I have a surplus of play sand. Can this be used to mix for pointing?
Blimey ! How much play sand have you got ?
At my previous house I had a patio/path laid in 2017 and easy joint was used, and it was still pretty solid when we moved out a few months ago. The new house had a patio laid since 2019, easy joint was also used, but it is rubbish. I expect that it is due to movement. Is the best bet going to be to relay the patio?
It makes me mad as well, I do it for a living and tbh the aggro that porcelain has created is a real pita.
There is no perfect joint product, all have issues of some sort, be it install issues or longevity issues.
Easy joint is utter s
t, it's basically an aggregate bound by linseed oil.
Thing is, it is easy. so people still use it.
We use mapei grout and have found it best for longevity. Issue it putting the stuff in and cleaning off isn't easy. It's obviously not the hardest thing in the world but can go wrong.
Same with products like flow point, 2 part resin compounds and anything which goes off basically
for example. use a 2 part resin, get it all in, get it all cleaned, you get a resin film over the surface which over time goes away. however if you accidentally walk on it with a dirty shoe on day one then that stain will be there for potentially months. you can't just get it off without using some kind of resin stripper as you'd need to use that on the entire area to make it look even.
In your case I would recommend using something like mapei.
watch a few videos on YouTube, follow the instructions on mixing and ratios to the T and only mix a small amount at a time.
There is no perfect joint product, all have issues of some sort, be it install issues or longevity issues.
Easy joint is utter s
t, it's basically an aggregate bound by linseed oil. Thing is, it is easy. so people still use it.
We use mapei grout and have found it best for longevity. Issue it putting the stuff in and cleaning off isn't easy. It's obviously not the hardest thing in the world but can go wrong.
Same with products like flow point, 2 part resin compounds and anything which goes off basically
for example. use a 2 part resin, get it all in, get it all cleaned, you get a resin film over the surface which over time goes away. however if you accidentally walk on it with a dirty shoe on day one then that stain will be there for potentially months. you can't just get it off without using some kind of resin stripper as you'd need to use that on the entire area to make it look even.
In your case I would recommend using something like mapei.
watch a few videos on YouTube, follow the instructions on mixing and ratios to the T and only mix a small amount at a time.
m3jappa said:
I do it for a living
I notice that you're based in Essex.m3jappa Where is the limit of your firm's coverage?I have a paved balcony over part of a garage. It was relaid and a new balustrade fitted but the builder (now defunct) persuaded me that a coat or two of Cromapol would work as well as a membrane at keeping water from penetrating to the garage below. Needless to say it did not. Despite re-grouting water still penetrates through the joints. I have tried a siloxane coating (Enviroseal) with limited effect. I think what I need is a flexible waterproof jointing compound such as expansion joint mastic, but I am reluctant to choose this route without some expert guidance. Relaying the flags over a membrane would, of course, be the best answer but this is impractical unfortunately. Thanks in anticipation.
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